LKL's rating: 0 stars
After receiving numerous reports that Linguality is not sending books and that customers are unable to contact anyone in the company by email or phone, I have changed my rating to zero stars to indicate that this company is untrustworthy and that you do business with them at your own risk.
When I originally wrote about Linguality in 2007, my review was based on the books I was sent. I was never actually a subscriber, so my original five-star rating was for the books themselves.
After receiving numerous reports that Linguality is not sending books and that customers are unable to contact anyone in the company by email or phone, I have changed my rating to zero stars to indicate that this company is untrustworthy and that you do business with them at your own risk.
When I originally wrote about Linguality in 2007, my review was based on the books I was sent. I was never actually a subscriber, so my original five-star rating was for the books themselves.
Original Review
Linguality was launched in 2007 as a book club for French learners. Every other month, contemporary French books are republished with an English introduction, extensive English glossaries, and a French audio interview with the author.The Linguality book club publishes six books a year. Each one is a contemporary work of fiction or non-fiction that Linguality has republished with annotations. An interview with the author is included on an audio CD (around 40 minutes). Subscribers are automatically sent each book as it is published, every other month. These specially republished books are not available for individual purchase - you have to subscribe to Linguality to receive them (though of course you can cancel your subscription if you find that the book club doesn't work for you).
Linguality Book Formatting
The Linguality books are published with a "simultaneous" list of vocabulary. That is, the unabridged French text is on the right-hand (odd-numbered) pages, with potentially difficult words and concepts in bold. On the left-hand (even) pages, the 30 to 40 bolded words and phrases from the facing page are listed in the same order with translations and explanations. These are not bilingual books, just annotated ones, so they are not suitable for beginners. If you have at least two years of French study, you should be able to read the books without needing to look up anything beyond what's included in the glossary.Linguality Books
The current book, Portraits de Pechkoff, is Linguality's first non-fiction selection. Zinovi Pechkoff was a Russian-born member of the French Foreign Legion whose incredible life as a war hero and emissary is largely unknown. This biography, which won the Prix Combourg and the Grand Prix Jules Verne, was written by Pechkoff's protégé and admirer, French ambassador Francis Huré.Forum discussion about Portraits de Pechkoff
Previous Books
Chemins de fer, by Benoît Duteurtre
Le Resquilleur du Louvre, by Bernard Chenez
